Long stroke slide feed with gripper and check adjustable independently of slide action



April 2, 1957 p 5 LA MOTTE 2,787,465

LONG STROKE SLIDE FEED WITH .GRIPPER AND CHECK ADJUSTABLE INDEPENDENTLYOF SLIDE ACTION Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet l F"" INVENTOR. PIERREd la MOTIE g I y 9 ATTORNEY April 2, 1957 DE LA MOTTE 2,787,465

P. LONG STROKE SLIDE FEED WITH GRIPPER AND CHECK ADJUSTABLEINDEPENDENTLY OF SLIDE AC TION Filed Jan. 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig-ESTOCK LINE v CLUTCH as I 'INVENTOR. PIERRE de la MOTTE ATTOR'N EY April2, 1957 P. DE LA MOTTE 2,787,455

LONG STROKE SLIDE FEED WITH GRIPPER AND CHECK ADJUSTABLE 4 Sheets-Sheet3 INDEPENDENTLY OF SLIDE AC TIO N Filed Jan. 7, 1955 J'Illm..

l hlh INVENTOR.

PIERRE dc: lo MOTTE ATTORNEY P. DE LA MOTTE April 2, 1957 2,787,465

LONG STROKE SLIDE FEED WITH GRIPPER AND CHECK ADJUSTABLE 4 Sheets-Sheet4 INDEPENDENTLY OF SLIDE ACTION Filed Jan. 7, 1955 l llhl.

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INVENTOR. PIERRE dz IQ'MOTTE BY v TTORNEY LONG STROKE SLIDE FEED WITHGRIPPER AND Cl-ECK ADJUSTABLE INDEIPENDENTLY OF SLEE ACTION Pierre de laMotte, Nutley, N. J., assignor to U. S. Tool Company, Inc., Ampere, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 7, 1955, Serial No.480,478

2 Claims. (Cl. 271--2.5)

The invention herein disclosed relates to slide feeds.

This form of stock feeding mechanism comprises usually a sliding feedblock and a stock gripping lever mounted to oscillate on the block androcked in one direction to both grip the stock and slide the block, androcked in the opposite direction to release the stock and retract theblock.

This combination, while satisfactory for most purposes, links thegripping and releasing operations of the gripper with the slidingreciprocating action of the feed block.

If an On and Off clamping form of check is combined with the feed block,the timing operation of the check is also limited to the sliding actionof the block.

There are occasions where with a slide feed action it might be desirableto time the operation of the gripper and the check independently of thereciprocating action of the feed block.

Particularly this is true of so-called long stroke slide feeds such asdisclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 253,366, filedOctober 26, 1951, Patent 2,720,261 dated October 11, 1955, where thefeed block has a long stroke to feed a relatively long length of stockand where the parts are necessarily of heavy construction, introducingadditional problems of inertia, momentum and the like.

The present invention aims to overcome and avoid difficulties orproblems such as mentioned and to provide a practical, efiicient andotherwise desirable slide feed in which the gripper action and the checkoperation can each be adjusted and properly set regardless orindependently of the reciprocating action of the feed block.

Other, related objects are to provide such mechanism in simple, ruggedform adapted to present day industrial requirements.

Other desirable objects and the novel features through which thepurposes of the invention are attained are set forth or will appear inthe course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure,however, may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings are coextensive, broken longitudinalsectional views of one of the presently identified slide feeds, theseviews meeting on line A--A;

Fig. 3 is a view of the left-hand end of the machine appearing in Fig.1, parts broken away and in section to show details of the stock check;

Fig. 4 is a broken part sectional plan view of the feed block, gripperlever and other parts omitted;

Fig. 5 is a broken cross-sectional view of the sliding feed block orcarriage and other parts, on substantially the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the gripper lever.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the renited States PatcntO "ice ciprocalting slide or feed block 7, instead of being operatedthrough the intermediary of gripper mechanism as heretofore, is directlyactuated by a push-pull link 8 pivoted thereto at one end at 9, andpivotally connected at the opposite end at 10 with the upper end of aswinging lever 11 fulcrumed at the bottom at 12 and engaged mid-lengthat 13 by link 14 extending from crank pin 15.

This construction provides a long length feed stroke the extent of whichcan be governed by shifting of crankpin 15 radially by screw 16 in thecrank-arm 17.

The crank or eccentric element 17 is shown carried by the output shaft18 of the reducer 19, the latter deriving power from motor 20 throughintermediate drive gearing 21, including a clutch 22 and a brake 23.Lubrication for this long stroke operation is provided in theillustration by an injector pump 24, Fig. 2, mounted in the base of themachine, operated by a cam 24a on the reducer shaft 18 and connected bya supply line 25 with the fulcrum center 12, with branches 26, 27, 28and 29 leading to pivot centers 13, 15, 10 and 9, respectively.

Lubrication of the long guide rods 30 on which the feed block slides, iseffected in the illustration by a flexible extension 31 running from theupper pivot center 9 to a passage 32 in the underside of the feed blockand from whence tubing 33, Fig. 4, is extended to passages 34 in theblock leading to the guide rods.

The stock gripper is shown in the form of a lever 35 pivoted on top ofthe feed block at 36 and carrying at the forward edge, direction of feedconsidered, a feed blade 37 positioned to cooperate with a bottom plate38.

The gripper lever is oscillated in the present disclosure in oppositedirections, to grip or release the stock, independently of thereciprocating movement of the slide by a power cylinder 39 pivotallymounted on top of the slide block at 40 and containing a piston having arod 41 pivotally connected to the upper end of the gripper lever at 42.a

Power cylinder 39 is shown as equipped with electrically actuatedreverse valve mechanism 43 connected by a flexible cable 44, withappropriate control switches which are actuated by cams on the maindrive shaft 18.

Fig. 5 shows how these control cams and switches may be all mounted atthe outer end of the drive shaft, conveniently accessible for adjustmentorother purposes and normally protected by a removable cover or door 45.

In the particular example shown the outermost cam 46 actuates a grip-onmicroswitch 47, cam 48 actuates a gripoif switch 49, the next cam 50operates a check-up or check-closed switch 51, cam 52 operates acheck-down or check-open switch 53 and the innermost cam 54 operates acounter switch 55.

Construction of the check thus controlled is shown in Figs. 1 and 3 asembodying a lower clamp plate 56 carried by spring retracted slide rods57 and arranged to be thrust upward into cooperative relation with theoverstanding spring pressed clamp plate 58 by lever 59 pivotallysupported at the inner end at 60 and engaged at the outer end by thepiston rod 61 of power cylinder 62, the latter pivotally supported at63.

This power cylinder, like the gripper operating cylinder, is equippedwith an appropriate magnet valve unit and is electrically connected inthis case with the checkup and check-down microswitches 51, 53.

Suitable flexible connections are provided for supplying fluid underpressure to the magnet valves controlling the gripper and checkoperating cylinders 39 and 62. These may be pneumatic or hydraulicdevices and it is contemplated that other forms of power units may beemployed for operating the gripper and check independently of the slidemovement.

The cams and control switches preferably are individually adjustable toenable stock gripping and releasing operations of the gripper and stockrelease and holding operations of the check to be independentlyregulated according to the length of feed and character of the stockbeing handled.

For such purposes the cams may be adjustably'secured on the main driveshaft as by' set-screws 64. By proper timing of the cams and switchesthe gripper maybe caused to take hold of and to release the stock at anyselected points in the travel of the feed block, and similarly the checkmay be caused to release or to grip the advanced stock at pointsrequired to accomplish desired results, and all this independently oftravel of the slide block. Consequently allowances can be made. andcompensated for in respect to inertia and momentum occasioned bystarting and stopping of the slide block in its long stroke movement inopposite directions.

Any usual or special stops may be provided for arresting movement of theslide block in opposite directions, the drawings showing adjustablefront and back stops 65, 66 adjustably mounted on the guide rods 30.

The counter cam and switch mechanism at 54, 55 may be used as incopending patent application Serial No. 253,366, to stop the feed andinitiate operation of the press or other machine to which the stock isbeing fed after completion of a single or a certain number of slide feedoperations. Also, as in the patent application referred to, the slidefeed maybe under control of the supplied machine so that it cannotoperate until the machine supplied has completed its intended cycle ofoperations.

The independent control of gripper and check operation enables stock tobe released and held at any midpoint in movement of the feed block and,if desired, the direction of feed to be reversed, in which latter eventa reversibly operable stock gripper may be employed such as disclosed incopending patent application Serial No. 474,642, filed December 13,1954.

While operation of the gripper and stock check is regulatableindependently of reciprocating movement of the feed block, all theseparts are actuated or timed from the one main drive shaft, facilitatingnecessary adjustments and assuring maintenance of proper timing. Themachine is adapted for handling wide as well as narrow materials.Suitable adjustable edge guiding rolls may be located at the entry endof the machine, these preferably being adjustable to difierent widths ofstock, as indicated at 67, Fig. 2.

The. driving of the feed block from below and location of the gripperand power unit for actuating the same on 4- top of the block provides acompact, well balanced structure, with the power unit and grippermechanism fully accessible for inspection or any necessary adjustment orattention.

The clutch and brake 22, 23 on the main drive shaft may be controlledfrom the counter switch 53 or otherwise, to instantly disconnect andstop rotation of the 7 main shaft at the end of a cycle for which themachine may be set.

What is claimed is:

1. Long stroke slide feed with gripper and check adjustably operableindependently of slide action, comprising the combination ofreciprocating slide block, an upright swinging lever beneath said slideblock pivotally connected at the upper end with the slide block andpivotally supported at the; lower end, a reducer having an output shaftat one side of said swinging lever, a crank pin on said output shaft, alink pivota'lly engaged on said crank pin andpivotally connected with anintermediate portion of said swinging lever, a motor for operating saidreducer, intermediate drive gearing from said motor to said reducerincluding a clutch and brake for stopping and holding the reducer andthe slide block operated therefrom, a stock gripper on 'the slide block,a power cylinder mounted on top of the slide block and connected toactuate said stock gripper, a stock check mounted at one end of thereciprocating movement of said slide block, a power cylinder arranged toactuate said stock check, cams on said output shaft and switches forcontrolling operation of said stock gripper power cylinder, stock checkpower cylinder, clutch and brake, said switches positioned for actuationby said cams and said switches and cams being relatively adjustablewhereby said power cylinders, clutch and brake may be timed foractuation independently of each other and independently of reciprocationof the slide block.

2. The invention according to claim 1, with a counter switch and a camon the output shaft for actuating the same for effecting control after apredetermined number of cycles elfected by the output shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,946,874 Nicholas Feb. 13, 1934 2,228,245 Barker et al' Jan. 14, 19412,263,721 De Lorine Nov. 25, 1941 2,624,575 Koch Ian. 6, 1953 2,665,905Lyon Jan. 12, 1954

